Milwaukee Brewers 2009 Team Preview
Thinking about this team always gets me wondering about the following scenario:
Imagine you wake up tomorrow morning, pick up the Boston Globe or log onto SoSH or whatever your initial news outlet might be, and you see the following headline: “Selig, Henry Agree to Move Red Sox to National League”. The article goes on to describe how Bud Selig proposed moving baseball’s most popular franchise to the NL for the purpose of increasing attendance in floundering NL East stadiums like Washington and Florida, and Selig/Lucchino agreed to the move because they despise the Yankees and do not wish to face them any longer, and the Red Sox will play in the National League starting in 2010.
How pissed would you be? No more games against the hated Yankees or upstart Rays. Enjoy your new rivalry with…the Mets? Yawn. Oh, and let’s not forget about the “Natural Rivalry” with the Atlanta Braves. I cannot imagine what it must have been like for those Milwaukee Brewers fans who woke up one morning and learned that they would no longer be in the same division as New York, Boston, Cleveland and Detroit.
2009 Projected Rotation:
1) Yovanni Gallardo
2) Dave Bush
3) Manny Parra
4) Jeff Suppan
5) Braden Looper
Obviously, the rotation here will take a hit after losing two of the best pitchers in the game to free agency (assuming Ben Sheets doesn’t return). However, they do get a boost from a healthy Yovanni Gallardo, a 23-year-old with the stuff of an ace. After Gallardo, the guy I like best in this rotation is Manny Parra. A stocky lefty with a 4-pitch arsenal, he’s been plagued by a high BABIP in both of his MLB seasons. If he can command the ball a bit better, the Brewers could have a solid #2 on their hands. Looper and Bush are decent ground ball guys who will keep the defense on their toes but should keep the Brew Crew in the game. Jeff Suppan, on the other hand, is one of those cases where I’m shocked that he’s still in the major leagues (the Darren Oliver Effect).
Rotation Grade: C-
2009 Projected Bullpen:
Trevor Hoffman (CL)
Carlos Villanueva
Seth McClung
Mitch Stetter
David Riske
Todd Coffee
Tim Dillard
Chase Wright
Hoffman is a future Hall of Famer who should be able to provide one more year as a solid closer. However, as with any player over 40, you have to be prepared for the wheels to fall off at any time. Villanueva and McClung are both versatile guys who can start when needed, but it looks like Milwaukee plans to use them as late-inning relievers in the short term. Stetter is the resident lefty on the staff, and will probably be utilized in a LOOGY role. Dillard is the reliever with the most upside of this group, a 25-year-old with a hard fastball/slider combo. Riske, Coffee, and Wright are all weak options. (Wright’s claim to fame is yielding 4 straight home runs to the Red Sox while pitching for the Yankees).
Bullpen Grade: C-
2009 Projected Offense:
1) Richie Weeks – 2B
2) J.J. Hardy – SS
3) Ryan Braun – LF
4) Prince Fielder – 1B
5) Corey Hart – RF
6) Bill Hall – 3B
7) Mike Cameron – CF
8) Jason Kendall – C
Bench:
Tony Gwynn Jr. – OF
Trot Nixon – LF/RF
Craig Counsell – 2B/SS
Mike Rivera – C
Mike Lamb – 1B/3B
Top to bottom, it should be one of the best lineups in the NL. Braun and Fielder are two of the biggest run producers in the league. Hart, Weeks, and Hardy are among the best at their positions offensively. Cameron is above average, and Hall and Kendall should be average at the very least. The bench leaves a bit to be desired, as I wouldn’t want any of those guys seing serious playing time (with the exception of promising backup catcher Mike Rivera), but most of the Milwaukee lineup is young and healthy.
Offensive Grade: B+
Fielding Projection:
The Milwaukee infield can be split up into two halves: the “good side” and the “bad side”. Can you guess which one is the “bad side”? If you were to guess the side with the 270 pound man, you would be correct. The outfield is just OK. While Ryan Braun was a terrible, terrible third baseman, he’s only slightly below average in LF. Cameron’s reputation as a Gold Glove outfielder proceeds itself, but he’s 36 years old and has been inconsistent of late. Corey Hart is average in RF, but he’ll probably improve once he stops wearing his sunglasses at night. Kendall is still solid despite his age.
Defensive Grade: C-
The Brewers will probably take a step back in 2009, a fate that can only be expected after losing two All-Star starting pitchers. Gallardo’s return to the staff will mitigate the blow a bit, but if this team wants to return to the playoffs, they’ll need a 2004 Manny-Ortiz type performance out of Braun and Fielder.
Overall Grade: 63.5 (B-/C+)
Next up: We visit a region known for salmon, suicide, and an evil coffee empire.
Interesting trivia question: what is the only team to have been in four different divisions?
The Brewers.